


It Is Better When You Are Here

by Eydol



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, TW: Hospital (drip and medicines)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 13:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7936870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eydol/pseuds/Eydol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While he is searching for his cousin's room, Rei stands in front of a room he hasn't expected to find.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Is Better When You Are Here

**Author's Note:**

> \- Thanks to Fjeril for the correction ♥  
> \- I already put it in the tags but TW: Hospital  
> \- I put friendship but is it really a friendship?  
> -They're... probably OOC... |||orz 
> 
> Enjoy!

            The corridors were filled with nurses; beautiful women and handsome men whose work was difficult; and he never asked them for their help. Sakuma Rei was able to find his way alone, without any help, if he stopped daydreaming. Except he couldn’t stop daydreaming and, really, it didn’t bother him at all to get lost in the hospital. He would find the room he searched for one day or another, anyway. To be honest, he didn’t really want to find it. He came to visit his cousin more by duty than by love, and if he had been able to do it, he would have stayed at home.

            He took a sip of his soda, swinging the bouquet in his left hand. If he didn’t find his cousin’s room, he would have flowers at home. Or maybe he would give it to the tea club as he had heard Ritsu tell Mao that they wanted to drink tea between flowers. It probably was a caprice from the Emperor and he wouldn’t be surprised.

            He looked at the floor’s sign and sighed. He was now at the deathly illness floor, and that meant he wasn’t in the good one yet. _Wonderful. Oh well…_ He continued his way, thinking that he could reach the end of the floor where there were stairs too. It was like a little walk, even if doing a walk like that on this floor especially was rather stupid. He suddenly stopped and stepped away a little bit, before looking at the door in front of him. There was a little sign and sure, he could recognize these kanji.

            _Eichi Tenshouin_

            He hadn’t expected something like that, and yet, he should have. After all, it was the best hospital of the city – no, of the country – and of course Eichi would be there. He had heard he had been at the hospital the past week, and it was strange to have the proof just in front of him, and rather sad to know which floor it was. _So, it wasn’t an act._ He had always thought that the President of the Student Council exaggerated but it seemed like he wasn’t.

            Rei stared at the door. He could do as if he had never seen this door and leave, or he could enter and pay a visit to Eichi. It was better than to visit his cousin he didn’t like that much. He didn’t like Eichi either, but by entering, he could annoy him with his sole presence…

“Are you a friend of Tenshouin-kun?”

            Rei startled and turned towards a nurse who was smiling softly, waiting for an answer.

“Hm…I’m a classmate.”

            He couldn’t say he was his friend; they weren’t. But she didn’t seem to care as she said:

“I’m glad someone other than Hasumi-kun comes to see him. Please, enter.”

            She was so smiling, and looked so happy that Rei couldn’t refuse and entered the room.

            It was a small room, and dark because the curtains were closed. In the middle of the room, lied Eichi in a bed, eyes closed. Rei couldn’t move, his eyes locked on the drips. Was it always like that? Were there always these drips? Rei had never thought he would see Eichi in this shape and yet he was in front of him now. He came closer to the man and stopped once in front of him.

            Suddenly, Eichi opened his eyes and looked at him.

“Where am I…?” He asked and his voice was so low that Rei wondered if he hadn’t dreamt.

“At the hospital.”

“Again…?”

            Again. Now that he thought about it, Eichi was always at the hospital because of his health and, he wondered why, Rei felt bad. He shouldn’t have mercy on Eichi. He shouldn’t be there, to begin with.

“Who are you…?”

            The question took him by surprise and he stayed agape.

“I’m Rei. Sakuma Rei. A third year student in Yumenosaki Academy.” He answered, puzzled. “Remember?” He added hesitantly.

            Eichi stared at him blankly and didn’t answer. He looked so weak, so frail, so… not Eichi. It wasn’t Eichi Tenshouin. It couldn’t be! Rei was about to leave, not able to endure it but when he tried, a hand caught his shirt and he stopped. It was Eichi’s hand.

“What?”

“Stay… Please…”

“Why? You don’t even remember who I am.”

            He didn’t even understand why.

“I’m sorry…”

            There was a tear that fell on his cheek and it hurt him more than it should. He knew there was something wrong; why would Eichi forget about his enemy?

“Okay.”

            He would have an excuse for not being at his cousin’s room, at least. He looked at the bouquet he had in his hand. And he knew where it would stay.

“I brought flowers.”

“Thank you…”

            Rei looked around to find a vase, but of course there was none. It was a hospital, not a house. He was about to give up when the nurse of earlier entered and so, he asked her where he could put the flowers. She smiled and told him there actually was a vase in the bathroom. He thanked her and went to the water room to get it. He put water inside it, and then placed the flowers.

            The nurse entered the room and looked at him with insistence.

“A problem?” He asked.

“I should be the one asking. You seem off.”

“Oh, that’s nothing. It’s just… He doesn’t remember me.”

“Oh.”

            The nurse played with one of her brown locks,

“It’s normal, don’t worry. He’s half-awake because of all the medicines he had to take today. If you come back tomorrow, he’ll be himself as we’ll only give him half of the treatment.”

“I see. Thank you.”

            She smiled and left the bathroom. He clearly heard her telling Eichi she would come back later and left the room. Rei looked at his reflect in the mirror. He couldn’t believe that Eichi’s treatment was that strong. He sighed and brought the vase into the room.

“There. I put it on the night stand.”

            Eichi nodded but Rei wasn’t sure that he had understood him as his eyes were half closed. Then, the black haired man sat on the chair near the bed and waited. And Eichi began talking, slowly, stammering words that even Rei could understand. And the blond talked a lot, about his family, about his childhood, about the pain he felt because of his health. Rei felt embarrassed and sad to know that Eichi’s life hadn’t been happy. He also talked about nonsense; the medicines were really strong because he told him he was able to fly and saw pink elephants, an impossible thing of course, but he didn’t tell him.

            After almost two hours – and Rei couldn’t believe he stayed for so long – the black haired man said he was about to leave. Eichi nodded; he seemed tired and, frankly, if he didn’t fall asleep once Rei was outside the room, it would be a miracle.

“Thank you for having come…”

“You’re welcome.” He answered because of an automatic reflex.

“Will you come tomorrow too…?”

            The question was so full of hope…!

“Of course.”

            The blond smiled and Rei couldn’t help but think that his smile wouldn’t be there tomorrow. If the nurse was right – and he didn’t doubt her – then Eichi would be himself the next day, and really surprised to see his enemy. So, after a last nod, Rei left the room.

* * *

 

            The second time he entered Eichi’s room, he didn’t know if it was a good idea. When he had knocked, Eichi had answered normally and now was looking at him with surprise. Rei wondered if he remembered the hours they spent together the day before. Probably not, judging by his surprised and confused expression.

“Hello. I promised to come, so here am I.”

“You promised?” Eichi repeated. “To who?”

“To you. You asked me if I’d come back today, and I did.”

“You…”

            Eichi blinked.

“Oh. So you were the one Kotone-san talked about.”

            Kotone? Oh, it probably was the nurse. So, he called her by her first name? Interesting.

“Are you close to her, to call her by her first name?”

“I have been for two years. Why? Are you jealous?”

“Do I look jealous?”

            Why would he be jealous, anyway?

“Kotone-san is a beautiful woman, after all~”

            Rei laughed.

“Yeah, but too old for me.”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me that something like that would bother you.”

“Because it wouldn’t bother you?”

“Of course not. Why would it? I take life as it comes.”

            _‘I take life as it comes.’_ Of course. Eichi always said he was going to die because of his illness, and now Rei could only believe him.

“So, you don’t remember about yesterday?” He changed the subject.

“Not clearly.” The answer was. “I just remember someone being there and giving me flowers. I thought it was Keito, even if it would have been strange coming from him.”

“He never brings you presents?”

“Always books.”

“Not even chocolate?”

            The answer was no judging by Eichi’s little pout. Keito was a little bit boring, sometimes… But maybe Eichi didn’t have the right to eat chocolate for now.

“What a pity. I’ll think about you once I’ll eat my choco cake later~ I’ll put a picture of you on it.”

“With a text saying ‘In memory of the dear Eichi. Rest in peace’?”

“That’s a good idea!”

“Please, don’t forget to invite me. I want to be there for my funeral.” Eichi joked and laughed.

            He couldn’t believe this man was talking about his own funeral so freely, and, at the same time, he was prepared for his death, right? And it was sad that somebody who was barely eighteen years old had to think like that when all the people around his age were thinking about the future.

“You seem better than yesterday. You’re not like a zombie, now.”

“Did I say strange things?”

“Oh, you only talked about your childhood and your family. Oh and…”

            Rei smirked and Eichi frowned.

“What?”

“I don’t know if I can tell you, to be honest~”

“Rei of the ‘Three Oddballs’, tell me.”

“Ow, I can’t disobey the Emperor’s orders, can I? What do you think, Tenshouin-kun?”

“I think that if you don’t tell me, you’ll be the one in the bed with a drip.”

“What a threat~ Fine. You told me you could fly and see pink elephants.”

“I did what?”

“Medicines, what a powerful drug.”

            Eichi blushed a little bit and looked away.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“It was the medicines’ fault, don’t be ashamed.”

“ _Don’t tell anyone._ ”

“Fine.” Rei sighed.

            _But I don’t forget it. I now have a way to blackmail you~,_ he added for himself. Of course, he wouldn’t blackmail him; but it would be fun to tease him sometimes.

            They continued arguing a little bit about useless things and, after one hour, Rei left. It was surprising how they could get along in this little room. It was a pity they couldn’t do so at school. _Oh, anyway. I won’t die because we’re not friends,_ he thought, leaving the hospital.

            After all, they were rivals.

* * *

 

            The bell rang the end of the lessons and Rei stretched before leaving the class. He then went to the other third year class and waited for the students to leave, until he was alone with Eichi.

            The blond man looked at him with a surprised look but then smiled. They stayed quiet for a few seconds before Rei continued:

“Don’t believe I’ll treat you differently because of… You know.”

“Fine. I don’t want to be treated differently because of that.”

“Oh? It looked like you wanted all the attention~”

“Of course I want it.” Eichi smiled. “But not in that way.”

            Sure, being treated like a dead-to-be person wasn’t a pleasant thing. Rei shrugged; bided him good bye, and started to leaving. He then sighed and came back in front of the room.

“By the way, Tenshouin-kun…”

            The blond man turned towards him, a brow arched.

“Welcome back.”

            And this time, Rei really left, not letting the President of the Student Council the time to answer.

            Now that Eichi was back, the school life seemed normal again.

 


End file.
